In his article, Pastor Treglown talked about how the new year is a great opportunity to recommit ourselves to growing, to remind ourselves that we are committed to a journey in faith, to hear the voice of that speaker at graduation: “KEEP MOVING!”

And I think these words fit very nicely with our Old Testament readings for the year. See, the readings we have in church every Sunday follow something called the Revised Common Lectionary—which is a schedule of readings that was released in its common form in 1994 (though its origins are much older) that is shared by many congregations that are Lutheran, Baptist, Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist, Episcopalian… (I could go on!) around the world.

These readings are on a 3-year cycle, starting with Advent—so we started “Year A” a few weeks ago. Each year the Gospel readings come from a different Gospel (last year was Luke, this year is Matthew, and next year will be Mark—and John is sprinkled throughout all three years), and the Old Testament readings are paired with those Gospel readings in a way that makes sense. But each year, too, certain trends emerge with those Old Testament readings. This year, the Old Testament readings are drawn heavily from the books of the prophets—we’re reading a lot from Isaiah, from Jeremiah, from Ezekiel, and from the other prophets.

And I think that’s a very appropriate thing as we think about “moving forward.” Because movement is only a good thing if we’re moving in the right direction—and the prophets help us to see which direction we should be moving in! The prophets looked ahead to the first coming of Jesus into this world, but they also looked ahead to his second coming—the day when He will come again and raise the dead and make all things new—and this is our hope as Christians. And if there’s any moving we should be making it should be towards this vision the prophets give us!

So what? Does that mean somehow we can make Jesus come sooner? Of course not. The day when Jesus will come and give life to those who are physically dead has not yet come, and is hidden to us (and always will be until that day comes! (Mark 13:32)). Yet the day when Jesus will give us spiritual life is—today!

Because this is what Paul says (we’ll read this on January 10th/11th):

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:3–4)

This means that in His death and resurrection, Jesus freed us from sin so that we might live in Him—live lives that walk in “newness of life,” lives that bear the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22–23). Does this mean we are ever totally free from sin this side of eternity? Of course not; Paul makes this very clear in other places. Yet the point is that in Christ, we are a new creation—a creation that is starting right now, in this new year, and which will be brought to completion on the day when Jesus comes again (Philippians 1:6). So in this new year, let us listen to the prophets, set our eyes on that goal, and “KEEP MOVING!”

Happy New Year!

-Pastor Duncan